Istiqlal Party

The Istiqlal Party is a conservative and monarchist political party in Morocco, founded by Ahmed Balafrej in April 1937. The party's name, meaning "independence", is a reference to its nationalist past, as it was one of the leading factions of the Moroccan independence movement during the first half of the 20th century. The party also had an irridentist faction that wanted to reconquer lands that were formerly part of Morocco, which would include western Algeria, northern Mali, and all of Mauritania and Western Sahara. From 1997 to October 2013, it was either a part of the government or the dominant faction, and it entered the opposition in 2016.